Shelter boosts support for homeless

November 17, 2003|By Peter Comings, News Editor

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Editor's note: Nov. 16-22 is Homeless Awareness Week

OTSEGO LAKE TWP. - Bundling up her three children against the cold, 28-year-old Kelly Smith was thankful Thursday morning they were only walking the 20 yards from their room at the Otsego County Friendship Shelter to the office.

Homeless off and on for the last five years, she spent last Thanksgiving with an alcoholic mother downstate. Six months ago, Smith and the father of her two youngest children spent the summer camping downstate because they had no place to live.

Smith, still jobless, dyslexic, and one-half credit short of her high-school diploma, is expecting to make a fresh start in the maximum 90-day window of opportunity the shelter provides.

"I don't have a home, but I have somewhere to stay," said Smith, watching 7-year-old Darren,

3-year-old Tyler, and 2-year-old Kassandra figure out which of video tapes from the shelter's limited library they wanted to watch.

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The guidelines for staying at the shelter are designed to help residents build a minimum foundation for success: no drug or alcohol use; daily group meetings with counselors, nutritionists, or budget specialists; weekly individual meetings with the counselor; and the requirement that 80 percent of a person's income be turned over to the shelter for saving, money that's returned to residents when they leave.

In Smith's case, that financial contribution will be reduced to 70 percent (given her need to buy diapers) when she is able to contribute in the first place. The shelter is working with Smith to help her complete her graduation requirements, after which, like every other resident, she will be driven into town every weekday to look for a job.

Residents are required to work a minimum of 30 hours each week.

"People say you can work, you just don't want to work because you're lazy," said Smith, who had a meeting Friday with the Family Independence Agency about getting into a job placement program.

Smith is also pursuing court action against the father of her two youngest children for child support.

Shelter residents come in on a 10-day program, and are able to apply for a 30-day extension after that if they abide by the rules. Following that, they are allowed to apply for extensions on a week-to-week basis.

"I have confidence to go back to school and get an education to provide for my kids," said Smith. "No one else is going to do that for me."

To date, the shelter has provided services for 184 individuals this year, including 80 men, 63 women, and 41 children. As of Thursday, the shelter was at full capacity with 17 people.

Shelter Open House - Wednesday

OTSEGO LAKE TWP. - To raise awareness of the problems facing the homeless, the Otsego County Friendship Shelter, 7163 Old 27 South, will open its doors Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for an open house. The event will include refreshments and a tour of the facility.